Traveling for gas in Scott Valley

When the only gas station in town no longer has gasoline available it’s a pretty big deal. Just ask the residents of Fort Jones in Scott Valley where the Stage Stop Chevron station is located.

John Bowman

When the only gas station in town no longer has gasoline available it’s a pretty big deal. Just ask the residents of Fort Jones in Scott Valley where the Stage Stop Chevron station is located.

On weekday mornings it’s not uncommon to see lines of several vehicles waiting on both sides of the gas pumps and a line of customers at the cash register inside the store waiting to pay for gas, their morning coffee and/or a grab-n-go breakfast. The scene is much the same around lunch time and again in the early evening when local residents are getting out of work and heading home for the evening.

In mid-December contractors began pulling the gas pumps from the station on Highway 3 and digging up the holding tanks and piping infrastructure in order to upgrade the entire gasoline storage and pump system. Since then Fort Jones residents have been forced to travel out of town to fill their gas tanks.

Fort Jones resident Chuck Mikulus said the loss of his local source of gasoline has been a challenge. “You have to go over the hill [to Yreka] or to Greenview to fill up. You really have to watch your gas gauge and plan ahead.”

Scott Valley resident Ashley Peters has struggled with the situation, as well.“It’s a funny story, actually,” Peters said. “My mom just got me a Chevron gift card for Christmas and I can’t even use it unless I make a trip to Yreka. This is the only Chevron in Scott Valley.”

Scott Valley has a total of three gas stations, including the Stage Stop. The nearest to Fort Jones is 5.3 miles south on Highway 3 in Greenview so Fort Jones residents are currently forced to drive at least that far every time they need a fill-up.

Fortunately, Stage Stop owner Jimm Cross says the end is in sight. He estimates the project will be completed in the next few weeks and hopes to have gas pumps functioning by the first week of February.

Cross also said that rumors of the change being necessitated by a leak in one of the tanks are absolutely false.

“No, there were no specific problems with the equipment except that it’s reaching the end of its useful life,” Cross said. “It’s just the best business decision for us.” He explained that the station was built in the late 1980s and the pumps, tanks and infrastructure have been in place since then.

“That stuff doesn’t last forever,” Cross said. “It’s a good facility and a great community with loyal customers and we want to serve them the best we can. That’s part of our mission – to provide the communities we serve with the resources and support they need – and we’re focusing on safety and quality to achieve that mission.”